P.—B.

[H. L. ELLIOTT.

167. And they reached the address, box 912? —That is so. 168. Your allegation is that the censorship has "been established and exercised in the interests of the Roman Catholics: do you still believe that?— Yes. I think this inquiry made all the difference in the passing of those letters, and if the inquiry had not been made we would not have got them. 169. You are prepared to believe a good deal?— Yes, I seriously believe that. 170. Do you think that after that stuff went through the censorship is being exercised in Ihe interests of the Roman Catholic Church?— Yes, I think the other letters prove it. 171. To go back to your interview with Mr. Herdman on the 24th May : you knew then that the correspondence for box 912 was being censored?— Yes. 172. Did you make any complaint of that to Mr. Herdman?—Not to Mr. Herdman. 173. You seemed to suggest, yesterday that Mr. Herdman was somewhat sympathetic in regard to your actions? —I have not suggested that. 174. You seemed to suggest that?— You had no right to think that. 175. It seemed to me you seemed to suggest that Mr. Herdman was somewhat sympathetic so far as your utterances and the publication of the pamphlet was concerned? —I have no right, to suggest that. 176. You told me that Mr. Herdman said nothing which could be said to encourage you in the distribution of the pamphlet?—No, as a Minister of the Crown he would not. 177. Did you discuss the pamphlet with him?— Yes. 178. But you made no complaint of the censorship?—No, if was not on me. .179. It was on the literature going to your box?— Not to my box at all. 180. I call it your box; but, the Vigilance Committee's box? —Not, the Vigilance Committee's. 181. Well, the Orange Lodge's ?—Yes. 182. Well, you made no complaint to Mr. Herdman of the exercise of the censorship, and, of course, did not ask him to remove it?— No. 183. How long is it since you commenced to distribute this pamphlet?—ln the early part of December, 1916. 184. Giving the address "Box 912, G.P.0." That is, it circulated for five months ?—Until the Roman Catholics kicked up a row, and they put. a censorship on it. 185. W T ho? Do you know that?— The Minister of Defence. 186. You had twenty-five thousand of these printed?—l am corrected in that this morning by the gentleman who had the matter in hand : twenty thousand. 187. Have they all been put. into circulation?— Yes, with the exception of a few—about, fifty. 188. How do you circulate them?—Ai meetings. People have written for them, <fee. 189. Yes. All gone?— All except about fifty. " 190. We have had reference made here to a sort of little preface, " Fellow Citizens " [quoted] and signed "The Committee of Vigilance." Who are the Committee of Vigilance?—l am not prepared to say 191. I wish to know? —I am not prepared to say. 192. How many?— Quite a large number. 193. Well, who are they? His Worship ruled that the question should not be pressed, as Mr. Elliott was prepared to admit he was one of the committee and might be taken to represent, it. Mr. Gray: Very well; as your Worship says, he must, be taken to represent that Committee of Vigilance. 194. Mr. Gray.] Now, when did the Committee of Vigilance begin to use box 912? —That would probably be in December. 195. Was that about the time the committee was formed? —The committee was in existence earlier than that. 196. How much? —Nine months. 197. And I think the Committee of Vigilance indulges in other pamphlets of much the same character?— You mean historical pamphlets. 198. You may call them historical, but they have reference to the Roman Catholics and the Roman Catholic Church. I have one here?— You refer to the " Rome and Peer " pamphlet. 199. How many have you circulated? —Three. 200. " Did the Pope know? " : is that one?—No ; that is circulated by the Protestant, Political Association — "Printed and published for the Protestant Political Association by the Free Press Typ." The Free Press is the press whose imprint is on the other pamphlet, " Rome's Hideous Guilt," which I quoted. 201. The Protestant Political Association is the body of which you are the organizer and lecturer?— Yes. , 202. I see that this ends up, "Is the Pope neutral? What say you?"—Do not take that into evidence that I say the Pope is neutral, please. 203. Not at all; I have quoted the pamphlet, "What say you?" And you have also published the prospectus of the Protestant Political Association, in the course of which there are these words: "The exemption of priests and Marist Brothers in response to (he demand of the Hierarchy. The truculent and insolent attitude adopted towards the Minister for Education in the name of ' the Spiril of Conciliation 'by the Roman Federation. The scoffing of politicians at Protestants, and their truckling to Rome. , The crowding of members of Hie .Roman Church into ever}- branch of, the Civil Service, and the widespread dissatisfaction in the Service in consequence thereof. The innumerable instances of undue influence lo the detriment of justice and right." You approve, of course, and endorse thai language?—l am afraid so. and we are endeavouring to prove il true.

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